Dealer replaces owner's 'swallowed' SUV

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- As construction workers toiled fixing a Milwaukee sinkhole that swallowed a vehicle, a nearby dealership replaced it saying it would toss in a full warranty.

Lance Treankler picked up a replacement Cadillac Escalade at Metropolitan Cadillac, which worked with his insurance company so he wouldn't have to spend a dime out-of-pocket, WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, reported Friday.

Treankler's vehicle plummeted last month into a massive sinkhole caused by flooding rains.

"From the crash where I landed, my lower back still hurts," Treankler said. "But besides that, I could be a lot worse."

Crews working to repair the sinkhole are expected to finish the job in early September, a spokeswoman for Milwaukee Public Works said.

The intersection is closed while crews work and businesses are having a hard time getting customers through the doors.

"It has really affected it," said Mazin Hamdan the owner of Chubby's Cheesesteaks. "I mean, we're down a lot over last year's numbers for August."

"You get pretty good at finding where you can pinch pennies," said Pat Sturgis who owns the Beans & Barley restaurant and grocery store at the intersection.

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